Juvenile jail's future uncertain

PETER GUINTApeter.guinta@staugustine.com

Published Saturday, April 12, 2008

Citing money woes, the Florida Legislature has voted to close St. Johns County Regional Detention Center, but the juvenile lockup actually won't be shut down until Gov. Charlie Crist signs the funding bill.

Late Friday afternoon, Samadhi Jones, deputy communications director for the Department of Juvenile Justice, said it was "not currently set for closure,"

"But, whether or not the facility is closed depends on whether or not it is funded," she added.

The center holds up to 50 young people going to or from court. The average stay is 13 days.

If the facility is closed, the young detainees scheduled for court appearances would need to be driven to and from Jacksonville or Daytona Beach facilities by a St. Johns County Sheriff's Office deputy.

That idea makes Sheriff David Shoar upset.

"I hope the public is aware that this is a classic bait-and-switch game played out by our government in Tallahassee," Shoar said. "Where they are going to withdraw service, local government seeks more funds to provide that service and (the Legislature) then screams that they're spending too much. I'm tired of 30 years of federal and state unfunded mandates. They are disingenuous and reprehensible."

Shoar was already fuming at recent discussion in a legislative committee about disbanding the Florida Highway Patrol. That agency would exist but only operate on interstate highways. Sheriff's deputies would handle all other accident calls in their home counties.

"That would require me to hire 10 to 20 positions just to investigate traffic accidents," Shoar said. "That is just one of many of their mandates. If they are going to tinker with programs, they should leave the ones alone that affect the most vulnerable our children and our senior citizens."

James Tucker, chairman of St. Johns County Juvenile Justice Council, said driving St. Johns County detainees to Jacksonville or Daytona each day was the policy before the center was built.

"This (closure) would be awful for parents, who would have to drive to Duval County to see their child," Tucker said.

Tucker said the only way he can see to save the center is for St. Johns County residents to write Crist and ask him to cross it off his list of recommended closings.

"It's a line item," he said. "It's up to the governor now."

Public Defender James Purdy said the closure would mean increased costs and logistical problems for public defenders assigned to juveniles.

"They did not give us any advance notice," he said. "I think this is basically the opening symptom of what we'll see with the budget coming through this year. All agencies will face some cutbacks."

His office took a 6 percent cut this year and expects more cut next year.

"This will definitely have a dramatic impact on the way (we) do business. This is not going to be pretty," he said. "They asked us what would happen if they cut 10 percent on top of the six percent. They may have to consider decriminalizing misdemeanors. Maybe they'll put a moratorium on death penalty cases."

Purdy said most of the young people in detention are not the kids of wealthy parents.

"They are people in need of social services the most, the people who can least afford the gasoline to visit their children," he said. "It's a lose-lose plan."